A so-called "music insider" chimed: "Harry really wants to record his own stuff and put out in [sic] album now that this one is done. Trust me, he's going to do it."

Speaking on TV show The Gossip Table (via Mail Online), Melas said: "One Direction performed on Saturday Night Live over the weekend and their new album Midnight Memories is currently number one in the UK. It looks like a recipe that's going correctly.

"Simon Cowell, if you remember, paired all the boys together because separately they weren't as strong. But together they're stronger.

She added, "I spoke to a music insider who told me Harry definitely wants to record a solo album in 2014. It doesn't mean he's going to leave One Direction fully though."

But here's the rub on the report: A rep for the band tells Gossip Cop it's "totally untrue," while echoing to the Mail Online that "it's complete nonsense, of course".

The rep also told E! News: "There is no truth to this, the sold out One Direction world tour kicks off in April."

There you have it.

We've been here before, of course.

Back in April, the Sunday Mirror boomed that the Brit boy-bander had written several of his own tunes, and had been recording solo songs during sessions at Paramount's recording studio in Los Angeles, while on a break from his band's sell-out world tour.

"He loves messing around with some of the new songs he's been working on," imparted a source. "He's bounced some ideas off his friend Ed Sheeran and has already laid down some vocals."

"Harry's priority is obviously still with 1D," the source added. "But when he decides the time to go solo has arrived, he's likely to have a project raring to go."

A rep for the group said there was "no truth" to the solo album rumours.

"The boys are all working on the new 1D album together and sometimes sessions are recorded separately," the rep clarified at the time.

Styles, who is rumoured to be dating reality TV star Kendall Jenner, recently said that he is with the band for the long-haul.

"I would hope that I will still be touring with One Direction," he told Australia's 60 Minutes back in October when asked where he sees himself in ten years' time. "I love this job so much, if you need to call it a job, and I'll be doing it until I was old and people were telling me to stop."

He said of his relationship with the other lads: "The relationship that I've grown with these four boys that I didn't know four years ago is just absolutely insane and it's incredible. I'm very lucky that I get to spend so much time with them."

"So no solo career for Harry?" asked the presenter.

"I'm all good, I'm a hundred per cent in this band," Styles replied.

Check out the band's 60 Minutes interview below:

NOTABLE NUGGETS

And finally ...

* It's over: Madonna and her toyboy boyfriend Brahim Zaibat have split after three years of dating, her rep confirms.